Is Presidents Day a celebration of Washington’s birthday, both Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays, or a celebration of presidents in general? Does it really matter? Maybe what we really need is a Citizens Day, in which we all celebrate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, honoring participatory democracy itself.
How do you honor your role as a citizen by participating in the democratic process?
I avoid watching, reading, and listening to the news in favor of my mental health, but when an election is coming up, I research the candidates and the issues, and seek counsel from people I trust who are well informed. I always, always vote. When my daughters were little, I always took them with me to vote, and tried to teach them the importance — the sacredness, even — of participating in the democratic process.
I learned political activism as a 4 year old stuffing envelopes for Adlai Stevenson. My current activism is focused on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act; in my state of Missouri, we are fighting to have Medicaid expanded.
I have been actively involved in several political campaigns; canvassing, phone banking, hosting events, registering new voters, writing letters to the editor, etc. Last election day, I rode voters to the polls who would have had no other means of transportation. I met some really wonderful folks that day and it was a lot of fun. A healthy democracy isn’t a spectators sport. It demands the engagement of all its citizens in order to flourish and serve the greater good.
(Hat tip to Lois. I love the Adlai Stevenson reference. Mom raised you up right)
I try to stay informed of the issues, sign petitions that I agree with, don’t buy products or services from corporations I don’t agree with and contribute to organizations that I believe improve the world.